Dr. Jovanovic reveals if dangerous Brazilian and South African strains have appeared in Serbia

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Virologist and member of the Crisis HQ Tanja Jovanovic says that the epidemiological situation in Serbia is a cause for concern and that in the last two weeks, the British strain of coronavirus, which is present in 70 to 80 percent of patients, has been dominant in our country.

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Jovanovic told K1 TV that the British variant of the virus reproduces faster and is more contagious, as well as that research shows that there is a change in the clinical picture in those infected.

"A large number of patients require oxygen support, and many patients are on ventilators. The mortality rate is not higher, but the clinical picture is more severe in patients with the British strain," Jovanovic told K1.

She also mentioned that younger people get sick more than before and that they also develop a more severe clinical picture.

Jovanovic said that South African and Brazilian strains have not yet been registered in Serbia, adding that they are more dangerous.

According to her, vaccines also work on those two strains, but their efficacy with those variants is reduced to 85 percent.

She pointed out that antibodies in people who have recovered from Covid should also protect against new strains, but also the vaccines that are made using the original virus.

Jovanovic said that Serbia has the mildest restrictive measures in Europe, and she believes that the measures should be extended for more than two weeks in order to control the spread of the epidemic.

"The measures must be more restrictive if we want to do something, but we have a powerful weapon in our hands and a privilege that other countries do not have, to complete the process of mass immunization and increase collective immunity. Until we have achieved that, we must adhere to the epidemiological measures," she stated.

She pointed out that each vaccine that is registered in our country is good, that they are all of good quality and that they create a very effective immune response.

When it comes to checking for antibodies after vaccination, Jovanovic explained that different laboratories use different tests and that it is not possible to compare the values, that is, the quantities of antibodies that are expressed in different units.

She also stressed that there is no danger and that there is no scientific justification for speculation on social networks that vaccination against coronavirus can cause autoimmune diseases.

(Telegraf.rs)